Töfra Stjarna

born August 19th 1991 - died June 5th 2007

Stjarna was the first born female in my kennel, she was second born of all my puppies. She was the puppy that I regretted not keeping, for my whole breeding career. She was promised as a puppy to a girl who had lost her older dog just shortly before Stjarna was born. Alas she was the only female in the litter and because I had promised her sight unseen I didn't have the heart to say no. During the years I've learned that some puppies you just have to keep whether it hurts someone's feelings or not. After having her for almost 5 years her first owner suddenly had to give her away. Stjarna was mated twice while living in her first home and it was us who did both matings. The first mating was with a wonderful dog who lived at the East coast of Iceland called Thorvaldsstadir, his name was Kópur and the mating was successful but unfortunately a few weeks into the pregnancy she went for a sonar and later re-absorbed all the puppies again. It was very upsetting because it was a dangerous trip and very expensive on our part, Beggi, my friend Stefanía and myself drove through snow storms and extreme conditions over 12 hours each way. It was one of those experiences that sits in your memory forever. Second litter was a year later and the father's name was IS Ch Fróði frá Götu. My friend Helga Andrésdóttir who was always a bit particial to Stjarna came with me that time and we took her a couple times to breed her. The litter was born at her first owner's house and I was there to help. It was the middle of the night and we got 5 wonderful puppies, the litter was born without any problems and Stjarna was a good mother. One unfortunately died a few days old. From this litter 3 have had offspring, Snælukku Kátur, Snælukku Bjartur and Snælukku Birta, out of her offspring have come awesome grandpuppies and greatgrandpuppies. Maybe the most famous of them all is INT IS Ch Hektor!

Stjarna was extremely spoiled in her first home and after her litter was extremely obese, she was around 41 cm high and weighed around 17-18 kg. She was shown once or twice as a very young dog and got champion quality but not a point (since she was in 2nd and 3rd place). After she started gaining weight she was totally unshowable and her movements never got back to normal, her back started to sway and her front became very wide and loose.

At the time she needed a new home I couldn't take another dog into my home so Stjarna found her forever home in 1995 with my dear friend Helga Andrésdóttir and I am forever thankful to Helga for taking her and letting her live out her life to the fullest. She promised me and Stjarna that no matter what she could live her life with her until it was time to go to the Rainbow Bridge. It wasn't always easy, Helga moved a few times and lived in a small house and had alot of other dogs too. She started breeding dogs under the kennel name Sindra and Stjarna was her foundation female. Now and then she wanted to hold back new females to breed from. No matter how crowded her house got Stjarna was always welcome. She needed to give up other dogs during the years in order to make room but Stjarna always got to stay (even when she was sick and needed expensive medications for her arthritis) and I can say that in my mind there was never any question that she was dearly loved!

Helga decided to take her to a special dogshow when she was at the tender age of 15 years. It was the DÍF show in 2006, and what made this show unique was the fact that over 80 dogs were entered. Of them over half were directly related as grandpuppies or greatgrandpuppies to Stjarna. A special prize was given in Stjarna's name and she was there to see all her wonderful offspring. I have always been proud of Stjarna and know deep down that she was a dog that should have been a Champion, her type, build and temperament was awesome and it was a shame she was never shown while she was young and in good shape.

Here is a photo taken by Ágúst Ágústsson of Stjarna at that show...she is 15 years old on this photo but seemed to enjoy herself and got a prize of honour and a special comment by the judge in the kennel club magazine Sámur.

Through the years Helga has taken Stjarna all over the country on camping trips and on DÍF walks, she has lived an enjoyable life, a true dog's life with lots of free runs in the great outdoors. Stjarna was one of the first dogs ever in Iceland to be used as a therapy dog and received a dog of the year award from the Icelandic Kennel Club for that pioneer work. Since that experiment was done with the few starting dogs, many other dogs have become therapy dogs with the Red Cross here in Iceland.

Stjarna was a beautiful dog, a special character who was always so happy to see me. I will miss her cuddling up to me and am so sad that I didn't get to say goodbye to her. It's been awhile since I saw her and kept thinking during the past few weeks that I really should go and see her. At least my thoughts were with her and I am glad that she died peacefully in her sleep.

Helga I will be eternally grateful for the life you gave my sweet little girl. The little girl I should have kept, had a much better life because I couldn't keep her! She outlived her mother by almost a year and was for a little while one of the oldest living Icelandic Sheepdogs in Iceland. That was only because she lived a good life and had a wonderful owner. 

Stjarna you will be sorely missed and have taken a piece of my heart with you to the Rainbow Bridge. Until we meet again you go play with those I've loved through the years and give a special hug to your mother Hófi from me. I have one of your little great grandpuppies Töfra Klói Hektorsson and a great great great grandpuppy Hólmfrídur frá Ólafsfjördur so you will hopefully live on in them for me for years to come.